Mothers 328 Activists Start Hunger Strike

The women are struggling for fair sentences under the notorious criminal Article 328.

On July 16, two activists of the movement Mothers 328 started a hunger strike. In the nearest days, other activists of the movement will join them. The women are struggling for fair sentences under the notorious drug-related Article 328 of the Criminal Code, Belsat reports.

The Mothers 328 movement marks the fifth anniversary on July 16. During these years, the women have conducted a number of actions and negotiations with “deputies” of the “house of representatives”. They managed to achieve decrease of prison terms of some people for two years.

This is the third time the mothers go on hunger strike. Two women have started it this time: Ala Bernal and Alena Kuzmina. Other participants of the movement will join them later.

“We are once again in total desperation because the authorities absolutely disregard us - the mothers whose children have been convicted under Article 328. The Part 4 of this article is especially cruel, it relates to the alleged participation in a crime of a group of people. Very often, in such cases there are no groups, the children sit on the dock separately. The terms can be up to 18 years. Our children, convicted under Part 4 of Article 328, are held in jail for 14, 15, 16, 17 years. For this time, it is possible to ruin the lives not only of those kids, but also of their parents,” Alena says.

“Drugs do not end when children go to jail. The Decree #6 is a tool not against drugs, but against drug addicts, those who need rehabilitation in the first place. We are desperate, and we are announcing another hunger strike because we demand re-qualification of cases under the Article 328. We are not saying our children are innocent. We know all the details related to Article 328. They are guilty, but the terms are irrelevant,” Alena Kuzmina continues.

“Our children are young, initiative people, they can do many things in their life, but they are deprived of any opportunities in prison,” Ala says.

The action is taking place in the village where Alena Kuzmina lives in summer. The neighbours feel positive about her activity, and sometimes offer help.

“My son Anton is in prison, in the inhumane conditions. He is even deprived of one telephone conversation with me per month. I haven’t seen him for three years. He says he’s lost much weight: just skin and bones. It will be six years since he’s imprisoned soon,” Ina Dzhumava says.

“Thanks to our movement, some kids were released earlier. Including my son. In two days, it will be seven years since he’s home. I came to this action, because I want to support the mothers whose children are still in prison. What is happening today in our country is the deliberate destruction of a healthy nation. No one should destroy own people in such a barbarian way,” Liudmila Zhdanovich says.

The Article 411 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus is also dangerous. Under it, they can put convicts under trial if, for instance, there is dust in their cells. This leads to bigger terms, up to lifelong imprisonment. Activists of the Mothers 328 movement want this article to be fully liquidated.